May 28, 2015 Tornado Outbreak
This was by far one of the most widespread outbreaks of all time. Several of the most violent tornadoes in several areas across Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, one or two of which were also the deadliest, and a few coincidences were also confirmed across this outbreak. Almost 200 twisters were confirmed, with 13 EF4s and one EF5 tornado confirmed, and 73 fatalities with over 1,200+ injuries. Over $3.6 billion of damage was caused by this outbreak, making it the 2nd most destructive outbreak within the northern Midwest areas after the outbreak just 6 months prior 11, 2014 to this one. outbreak had 38 twisters, including two EF4s, with 29 fatalities, 11 in Xenia from a gigantic EF4, with over $4.2 billion in damage. This outbreak also had multiple isolated supercells that produced multiple tornadoes each, and the strange thing is, the EF4s were the 3rd most common this day after the EF3s twisters, as EF2s had only 12 and EF0s twisters, as EF1s had only seven. Significant Coincidences Three twisters hit Coal City, Illinois, two of which were at the same violent rating and one had an EF0 rating. All three twisters claiemd at least one fatality, and over $50 million of damage was done to that area. Another crazy thing is, two EF4s slammed into Xenia 6 months apart, and had similar amounts of injuries and the exact same amount of fatalities 11. The Xenia twisters were also the deadliest of their respective outbreaks. Crazy thing is, though, the 2nd Xenia twister had not even 1/3 of the November 2014 twister's 49-mile path and had caused only 1/4 of the $2.5 billion caused by the November 2014 tornado! Coincidences like this are HIGHLY UNLIKELY to mention in the exact same area. This was the last time those kinds of tornadic coincidences to have EVER been confirmed! Notable Tornadoes Several notable twisters formed in this outbreak, including a long-tracked, wedge sunrise EF1 tornado that killed eight people. Illinois There were at least 66 tornadoes confirmed in Illinois; nearly triple of the state's average per year. Le Roy-Saunemin Tornado Ironically, this tornado formed just when the Sun was rising. It was also the first tornado of the outbreak to be seen clearly and that also wasn't an EF0. This tornado formed about 2 miles north of De Witt, or nearly 20 miles south of Le Roy. It intensified rapidly at first, but then slowed down on intensifying at around 6:55 AM. It was at its peak strength, with mobile Doppler radar confirming wind speeds of 161 miles per hour. But however, this was over open plains with almost no structures, and no homes were hit for the first 20 miles of its extremely long 63-mile path.It progressed aggressively north at approximately 45 miles per hour, and rapidly weakened at 6:57 AM CDT. The twister hit Le Roy about 26 minutes after forming, at 7:13 AM, but caused high-end EF1 damage. Seven people were killed in Le Roy when a mobile home park sustained major damage, with 12 injuries there alone. It then left Le Roy, and continued on to Saunemin. Barely any structures were hit between the two towns. It then hit Saunemin at low-end EF1 strength, and killed a man in an automobile when he tried to outrun the tornado. The twister continued for an extra four miles, then dissipated. Two injuries were confirmed in Saunemin. In all, the tornado killed 8 people, left 14 injured, with all but one fatality and two injuries confirmed in Le Roy. Seven of the eight deaths were in mobile homes, and the tornado caused an estimated $2.5 million in damage. It is also one of the longest-tracked tornadoes in Illinois history, and was tied for 2nd deadliest tornado of the whole outbreak. Mattoon-Arcola, IL This tornado formed near Mattoon at around 7:22 AM, and intensified quickly. It first hit the Lake Land College, causing severe damage to the building just before crossing Interstate 57 and taking a path parallel to US 45. It then hit downtown Mattoon as a low-end EF3 at that point, with severe damage to almost the entire town. Nearly 18% of all 255+ injuries in Illinois occurred in Mattoon alone, with at least 47 injuries confirmed in Mattoon, along with three fatalities. The tornado then continued northward, then turned just northeast, and directly hit the centre of Arcola, with the whole city confirming severe damage, along with around forty injuries and two more fatalities. Most of Arcola was almost entirely leveled with nearly 60% of all infrastructure having confirmed major damage. In total, this tornado tracked about 16.3 miles, was nearly 1/4 of a mile wide, killed five people, injured at least 88 people, and left over $40 million in damage. Mt Carbon-Murphysboro, IL At 7:47 AM CDT, a tornado warning was issued for Jackson County 29 minutes before the funnel touched down 2 miles southeast of Mt Carbon, with a different storm moving the opposite direction of the other cell in Illinois at the time. The tornado quickly intensified before reaching Mount Carbon, toppling and uprooting hundreds of trees and causing significant damage to several out-of-town homes. When it hit near downtown Mt Carbon, at least 22 homes and structures sustained significant damage, seven being completely destroyed, and at least 61 other structures/homes, alongside three businesses being damaged. However, despite this, only four people were injured in Mt. Carbon due to warnings given out. It then rapidly intensified again and hit EF4 strength in Murphysboro's very eastern outskirts, and swept away an entire trailer home park with about 40 mobile homes, where four people were killed, and twenty were injured. Fortunately, most of the residents in the trailer park were taking shelter in the Victory Christian Fellowship church just off of Illinois Route 127. Even still, the church sustained significant damage from the tornado that was about 300 feet away. The tornado also destroyed an area of at least nine subdivisions, with thirty-three homes completely leveled and almost 500 damaged severely, with a Penn Aluminium manufacturing building was completely swept away by the powerful tornado, alongside nine other homes. Despite this, only thirty-two more injuries were confirmed throughout Murphysboro other than the trailer park. Near the end of its path, the tornado leveled the entirety of the Murphysboro High School, with 95% of the school leveled, where an employee was killed while trying to protect several students, with nineteen injuries in the school alone. The tornado then started weakening and tracking through open fields for the rest of its lifetime before dissipating just over 500 feet outside of the community of Oraville. Overall, the tornado leveled at least 42 homes, left 559 damaged, killed five people and injured 53, nearly 1/5 of the state's injury total, with over $25 million of damage in a 26-mile path up to 1.1 miles wide. Category:Costly Tornadoes Category:Deadly Tornadoes Category:Outbreaks Category:Deadly Outbreaks Category:F4/EF4 Tornadoes Category:F5/EF5 Tornadoes Category:Violent Tornadoes Category:Violent Outbreaks Category:Catastrophic Tornadoes Category:Catastrophic Outbreaks Category:Ohio Tornadoes Category:Illinois Tornadoes Category:Indiana Tornadoes Category:Iowa Tornadoes Category:Violent Tornadoes Category:Violent Tornadoes Category:Tornadoes